Just Like A Fairy Tale
by S J Smith
Summary: A spell gone wrong changes Murphy into a guy. Oops?


**Title:** Just Like A Fairy Tale

**Author:** S J Smith

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Murphy's gotten changed into a guy through a spell gone wrong. Oops?

**Disclaimer:** Jim Butcher absolutely owns all.

**Notes:** Written for the LJ comm, "Comment_Fic".

* * *

"Harry!"

He gulped hard, staring in disbelief at the figure coming out of that magical cloud of sparkles and smoke. "Uh." _Empty night!_ his brain was screaming at him, and Harry quite agreed. "Karrin?"

"Harry," she - _he_ growled, stalking toward him, and Harry swallowed again. "What. Happened?"

"I, uh," Harry wished he could look away but Karrin's features on a man's body was – was – he boggled at the reality of it. She looked like a little blond bad ass boy – sort of like that hero in that weird Japanese steampunk anime with alchemy. Only scarier. "Something went wrong!" Oh, great Harry, way to let your voice go high-pitched and squeaky.

"You're not kidding, something went wrong!" Karrin – no, no, it was too weird to call him that - _Murphy_ swept a hand down his form. "I have a _penis_, Harry! How in the name of all that's holy do I have a penis?"

"Uh," Harry backpedaled mentally, trying to remember everything that had happened for the past few minutes, his brain oddly blank. "I can fix this!"

Murphy growled, "You'd better!"

"It, uh, might take a little bit, though," Harry said, "I mean, you do have some emergency leave time you can take, right? I have to research just what happened and how it went wrong and what's going to have to be done to get you back," he really hoped it didn't mean calling in any favors that he didn't want to wind up owing. Somehow, though, he thought Bob would be ready to help out, if only because he thought Karrin Murphy was hot, and would hate to see her like this.

"Get on it, right now!" Murphy was close enough to fist a handful of Harry's shirt and did, glaring up at him.

"Yeah! Yeah, right on it, and uh…" Harry glanced down at his hand, then back up into his eyes. "I'll fix this, Karrin. I promise."

His eyes didn't soften, they went even darker. "You'd better, Dresden, or I'll," his voice trailed off for a second, then he snapped, "You wouldn't like it!"

"You know, that's kinda weak, Murphy," Harry said.

Murphy let go of his shirt, turning his back and folding his arms. "Yeah, well, it's not like I'm completely up to par here! It's a," he sighed, "a real shock."

"You're telling me?" Harry scrubbed the back of his neck. "Murphy, I'm not sure what's happened here," two different magics combined? His spell and someone else's booby trap making Murphy into a guy? "but I swear - "

"No, Harry!" Murphy held up his hand. "Don't. Even I know enough about magic." Shaking his head, he forestalled any of Harry's words. "Just…just work on a way to get me back to normal."

Harry stared at his friend, then gave up, sighing heavily. His head lowered. "Yeah, all right. I'll do everything I can. And I will get you back to normal, Karrin." Laying his hands on his shoulders, Harry gave them a squeeze. "Now that's not fair. You're already more muscled than I am!"

Murphy laughed in surprise, but nodded once. "Get to work, Dresden."

"You got it."

X X X

Bob's proposal made Harry's mouth drop open. "I have to what?"

"You heard me, Harry." If Bob could've shrugged, he would have. "It's pretty simple, really. Just like a fairy tale."

"But," Harry squinched up his face. "I. Uh."

"Oh, come on, Harry. Murphy's hot. I wanna see her back in her normal form. She does absolutely nothing for me as a guy." Bob added, "Besides, you made a promise, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but." Harry sighed.

"C'mon, Harry. You gotta do it!" Bob hesitated. "Just not anywhere I can see it actually happening. But you can bring Murphy back here for a celebration, if you want."

How a skull without any flesh could leer was beyond Harry, but Bob definitely leered. "I'm not bringing her back here if this works." Come to think of it, where could he try this thing out? If he destroyed any of Murphy's electronics, he'd be shredded meat before he could even try Bob's proposal.

"Aw, what's a guy gotta do to have some fun around here?" Bob wanted to know.

"Not that." Harry considered. Somewhere neutral, somewhere safe, somewhere where he couldn't destroy absolutely anything…"Aha!"

* * *

A duffle bag over his shoulder, Murphy squinted at Harry. "McAnally's?"

"I got special dispensation," Harry said, and knocked on the door. It opened, McAnally grunting as they came into the bar. "Thanks, Mac."

"Don't wreck the place," he said, and headed back behind the bar, and into the shadows beyond.

Inside, it felt the same as always, a neutral place, safe haven for anyone who needed it. Harry took a deep breath, and began moving a few of the tables out of the way. "Now, Murphy," he said, "the research said this is going to be instantaneous, kinda like how this happened in the first place. I don't know if it's going to hurt or not."

"Whatever," Murphy said, slinging the duffle out of the way and helping shift the tables. There was a clear space on the floor now, and Harry wished he dared draw a protective circle, but Mac's place ought to be its own protection.

"Okay, now, the research I've done says this is not going to take a lot to change the spell and get you back to your normal form."

"Yeah?" Murphy cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "And how're we doing that again?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry took two long steps over to him, grabbing Murphy by the shoulders. His brain went blank but he leaned down and did just what Bob told him to do – kissed Murphy.

A blue light sparked at the touch of their mouths just before Murphy punched him in the gut. Harry grunted but held on. The light limnded Murphy's body in indigo that brightened to electric shades as it caressed his figure. Murphy shoved Harry back, the blue light focusing on him – no, _her_ - and suddenly, Murphy's figure began to shift and change. The light intensified, forcing Harry to shade his eyes with his arm.

When the brilliance died away, Harry lowered his arm, goggling at the sight of Murphy – Karrin – her figure softened and curving again as she knelt on the floor. "Harry!"

He grinned, relieved to see her back to normal. "You're back to normal!"

Karrin studied her hands, then looked down at herself. "I have the worst case of the cramps," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at Harry.

"What?"

"Thank you," she said slowly. "I'm glad to have my body back." Getting to her feet, she swayed for a second, then caught her balance, walking to him. Harry smiled as she approached, and then yelped when she punched him, hard. "That's for making me a guy!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Harry yelped, "Well, not entirely!"

"Close enough!" Murphy thumped him again.

"What's that for!?"

"Kissing me!"

"What, you'd rather have stayed a guy?"

"No, but you could've told me what you were going to do!"

"It was weird enough kissing a guy! If I'd told you, you'd probably kick me in the shins!"

Murphy glared up at him, her expression softening after a few seconds. "Harry. Thanks."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "You're welcome, Karrin." Besides, he thought as she spun around to grab her duffle, the view from this angle was definitely better than when she was a guy.

* * *

- _end_ -


End file.
